Bangladesh will purchase 30 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by the Oxford University in UK. Each person will require two doses of the vaccine. That means 30 million vaccines can be administered to 15 million people in Bangladesh.
The health ministry, India’s Serum Institute and Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharma signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in this regard on Thursday. The vaccine will arrive in Bangladesh once it is approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Each dose will cost 5 dollars (425 taka) in Bangladesh.
Neither the government nor the other two organisations could clearly say when the vaccine may arrive.
Present at the MOU signing ceremony were health minister Zahid Maleque, health secretary Abdul Mannan, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami and Beximco Pharma’s managing director Nazmul Hasan. The MOU was signed by three officials of the health ministry, Beximco and Serum Institute.
Beximco will supply the vaccine in Bangladesh as agents of India’s Serum Institute.
